The invention encompasses a subcaliber segmented sabot projectile consisting of a penetrator made of heavy metal, a disposable segmented sabot surrounding the penetrator, and a form-locking means, as for example, a layer of interlocking lands and grooves, such as a thread, between the segmented sabot and penetrator.
The invention further emcompasses a process for the manufacture of such a subcaliber segmented sabot projectile.
Subcaliber segmented sabot projectiles primarily serve to combat armored targets by way of kinetic energy. The kinetic energy released by the projectile into the target is proportional to the velocity and the mass of the projectile. Since the volume of the projectile is limited by the dimensions of the shell and its gun barrel, the use of materials with high density are preferable as projectile material, in order to make available the greatest possible mass. As materials with high density, sintered alloys can be used with a high percentage of at least one heavy metal, preferably tungsten. The disposable segmented sabot transfers the pressure of the propellant charge gases onto the projectile in order to accelerate it. For this purpose there must exist form-locking shapes and/or means between the disposable segmented sabot and the circumference of the subcaliber projectile.
Such form-locking means, for example, in the form of a thread or in the form of grooves, are already known in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,167. Threads or grooves can, however, lead to the drawback of undesirable notch effects in the projectile body, since they weaken the resistance (strength) of the projectile body. At impact of the projectile body on the target the projectile can break up into numerous pieces. A broken projectile body, however, can no longer penetrate through the target.
The invention has the basic purpose of providing a subcaliber segmented sabot projectile with a penetrator comprised of heavy metal, a disposable segmented sabot surrounding the penetrator, and a form-lock means in the form of a layer between the segmented sabot and penetrator, the penetrator containing a high percentage of preferably, tungsten in a n-phased sintered alloy (where n=2), characterized by, that the layer carrying the from-locking means forms at least an additional phase in the circumference of the penetrator which has improved form-locking means. Further, the invention has the purpose of providing a process for the manufacture of such a projectile.
A favorable development of the invention as well as the process for the manufacture of the subcaliber projectile arises out of the facts that preferably said layer contains a light metal, preferably aluminum or magnesium, and that the said layer, in which phases of the form-locking means are found adjacent to phases of the projectile consisting of heavy metal, has a thickness between 5 micrometers and 30 micrometers, and that the material of the form-locking means is bonded together with the material of the projectile core by means of explosion welding.
The selection of material for the form-locking means does not adversely influence the target effective specific density of the flying projectile. The material of the form-locking means, which has a relatively low melting point, will, in fact, upon impact of the projectile onto the target, and the penetration of the same through the target, be smeared by the resulting high temperature and therefore produce no noticeable resistance when the projectile penetrates through the target material. These characteristics provide for particularly good results with regard to the projectile when combatting a target consisting of numerous armored plates. The specific process for the arrangement of form-locking means allows for a very minimal energy and material consumption, and favorably guarantees, by preventing every temperature and heat determined influence of the sintered joint of the form-locking means, a secure bonded connection with the projectile.